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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

DS (2) frightened of DH...

91 replies

ElephantsYeah · 14/01/2018 23:53

I wonder if anyone can help. My ds is 2, and said tonight that he is scared of dh (his dad).

DH is a kind and gentle man, though does sometimes get cross and snap by shouting too loudly (imo) but has never ever been violent to ds (or me).

He is devastated that ds said this. I don't know what to suggest he does to help ds become more comfortable with him so wondered if anyone has any tips?

We're (relatively) new to parenting and I expect we're getting all sorts wrong, but I don't think our ds should ever feel frightened of either of us, ever. So I want to nip this in the bud before it drives dh away (he was so hurt, he said he might as well not be part of the family).

OP posts:
ravenmum · 15/01/2018 15:38

Legend asked what else you can do apart from shouting at them. I suggested one possibe alternative tactic to shouting. There are others, of course. I don't see anyone claiming that they never shouted "NOOOO" as they saw their toddler push over a cup or something.

BarbarianMum · 15/01/2018 15:39

Both my sons used to be terrified of their dad when he sneezed. He has big, explosive sneezes and it used to set them proper sobbing. They got over it unscathed.

I honestly wouldn't worry too much.

Karigan1 · 15/01/2018 15:41

It can be terrifying for a child to have a huge adult towering over them and shouting. To begin with have your DH always go down to your sons level to talk. When telling him off have him explain what he’s done wrong calmly and simply even if it’s telling him it’s not nice.

derangedmermaid · 15/01/2018 16:05

@TheLegendOfBeans several things. Removing his hand. Ignoring his terrible behaviour and only acknowledging his positive behaviour.

He only had the one tantrum, so I dragged him kicking and screaming, gently, onto the carpeted area so he wouldnt brain himself, and made myself a cup of tea. He took about half an hour of screaming and thrashing on the carpet before he got himself up and asked for a biscuit. Never happened again, he had loads with his dad who would end up getting exasperated and beg him to stop. Hmm

What you should ask yourself, is if your child were at nursery would you expect the staff to shout at your child? Would you feel that would be a reasonable reaction?

derangedmermaid · 15/01/2018 16:07

Just a little update - my 2yo DD just threw a small hard plastic toy at 13w DS catching him right in the eye and making him scream in pain

I'd be realistic.
Because you seem to be insinuating like he meant it.

If that's the case I'd enroll him in closest cricket club immediately, the boy clearly has an arm on him.

keely79 · 15/01/2018 16:12

Not sure I'd overthink it - sometimes kids will say what they have learnt will get the response they want - if he says he's scared, you'll let him stay with you and he's got a chance of having a feed. DS has tried similar on occasion (DH is too prickly, he just wants Mummy, he doesn't like/love DH, etc)

GlitterUnicornsAndAllThatJazz · 15/01/2018 16:32

So your son slaps you in the face and has his dad move out of the bedroom because he needs BF at the age of 2? Amd he has a kimg size bed?

Sorry OP but - IMO your son is spoilt and "being scared of daddy" means "daddy does pander to me as much and I dont like it".

TheVanguardSix · 15/01/2018 16:33

If you can both unite in picking your battles, loosen up the reins on your expectations, and make peace with the fact that with toddlers, so very much doesn't go according to plan, your frustrations will lessen and your patience will grow.

Kids challenge us. And you just can't expect them to march to your beat. You'll be throwing out sausages, having interrupted/less sex, and watching Paw Patrol at an ungodly hour because that's just how it is.

Your DH needs to settle down on the sofa for cuddles and learn the names of the Octonauts. Seriously. He needs to just chill out and hug his boy and just let go of those great expectations.

Don't be hard on yourselves! Parenthood is the steepest learning curve and we've all been there! We just forget and we think we have all the answers. OP, I've been at this gig for nearly 16 years and every day is a school day! So don't worry.

And don't be afraid to say to each other, "Shit! I'm struggling!" DH and I are dealing with the teens which is our new frontier (riddled with mines Grin).

It's all a work in progress. Hugs help. They really do. Flowers

SusannahL · 15/01/2018 16:58

So, we aren't allowed to smack children these days, and now it appears we are not supposed to shout at the little darlings either!

Heaven help us - no wonder there are so many ill disciplined and badly behaved children around these days.

biscuitmillionaire · 15/01/2018 17:17

10things Let DH practice in front of the mirror to say, calmly and firmly and lovingly "let's not do that", "oh it's nicer to kiss", "let's try this"...
Wow, no wonder so many kids are so mixed up. So you pretend not be be at all displeased that your child has hit you in the face? Like you're some kind of non-human with no human emotions. You say, 'let's not do that', in the same tone that you say 'let's have a snack'. Then two years later when your child starts school and hits someone in the face that person thumps them back and they get a bit of a shock. Of course full-on shouting isn't good, but hitting an adult in the face should get more than an 'oh dear' response.

TalkinBoutWhat · 15/01/2018 17:21

Hmm, not great that your DS is 'scared' of his daddy. But.... has being scared of things come up recently? Has he got out of doing things because he's 'scared' of them? Because 2 year olds are clever little sods, and if he thought he'd get what he wanted (you going and getting whatever it was rather than him having to) by saying he was 'scared' of daddy, then he was going to try it on.

biscuitmillionaire · 15/01/2018 17:21

That wasn't aimed at you OP, but the PP. But I think you and your DH need to have a rethink about the 'good cop bad cop' act, where you seem to give no discipline and your DH is a bit too stern. Maybe work out some consequences for your DS that you can both agree on for different behaviour, and put up a united front?

And by the way, I can completely understand your DH being a little peed off when he gets turfed out of bed when your DS wants to bf. He's literally being replaced and excluded, isn't he?

ravenmum · 15/01/2018 17:33

SusannahL, you can do with your children what you like, within the law obviously! No-one's telling you what you are supposed to do. But I don't see how showing children that shouting at one another is fine makes them polite?

StormTreader · 15/01/2018 17:44

Hmm, your DS gets to decide whether your DH sleeps with you or not, to the extent youve had to buy a full-size single bed for him to sleep in in the other room?
I'd be wondering whether "scared of" actually means "he wants me to sleep in my own room, and I dont want to".

Thesmallthings · 15/01/2018 18:19

Or the kid was just manipulating because he wanted mummy to get the cup.

Unless he is screaming at him I don't think don't hit /bite mummy / me in a louder voice is all that bad tbh.

LemonysSnicket · 15/01/2018 18:21

Your husbands snapped a few times when being kicked out of his bed, hit, his wife is being bitten or food being wasted.
That sounds normal to me, and he’s allowed to huff.
I think your son said it because he didn’t want to go get the soppy cup so made an excuse up.

LemonysSnicket · 15/01/2018 18:26

Also yes, Oedipus complex ( Electra for girls).

TheLegendOfBeans · 15/01/2018 18:55

Unless he is screaming at him I don't think don't hit /bite mummy / me in a louder voice is all that bad tbh

At last....sense!

ravenmum · 15/01/2018 19:42

Legend, I guess that we have been talking at cross purposes, as saying "Don't hit mummy" in a loud, firm voice is not what I would call shouting. Shouting is what your neighbours can hear through the walls...

rothbury · 15/01/2018 19:53

Hmmmm,
OP can you define what you mean by shouting? Do you mean talking in a firm raised voice, or do you mean the sort of shouting we might do when we stub our toe and think we might die from the pain

It's really hard to tell what's going on here.

TheLegendOfBeans · 15/01/2018 20:17

Agreed @ravenmum

I think I fall into “loud & firm” for 99% of tellings off then Grin

CurlyhairedAssassin · 15/01/2018 20:45

Your son sounds quite badly behaved to me. You sound too lenient. He hits you in the face and in return you kiss him?! What kind of message does that send?!! Think about it! Madness! If he has hit you in the face, he is displaying anger. He is allowed to feel anger but he is NOT allowed to hit in anger. And you can raise your voice loud enough to scare him into never doing it again. At the moment he is getting rewarded with kisses. While he is still angry! Very confusing and mixed messages for a 2 year old.

He kicks your husband in bed to the extent he has to leave the bed? It’s your DS who should leave the bed the MINUTE he kicks DH. He’s starting to see it as his territory. It’s not, it’s yours and DH’s bed and if he behaves he can stay in it with you both. It should be DH’s decision if he wants to go and sleep in the other bed.

He throws toys at the baby’s eye?!

Seriously, OP, all this needs nipping I’m the bud now. He’s going to end up as one of those kids in nursery/reception who all the other kids avoid because they’re spoilt and throw things/hit people when they can’t get their own way.

Every class has kids like that. It’s nearly always explained when you see how the parent “manages” the poor behaviour.

As for people expressing faux shock at DH going off in a huff “because he’s been denied sex”, come on! He has been kicked out of bed by a 2 year old, THAT’S his beef!

TheLegendOfBeans · 15/01/2018 21:12

He throws toys at the baby’s eye?

No, no, that’s my DD and advice to be heeded and ignored received accordingly thanks

Notsleptin2wholegoddamnyears · 15/01/2018 21:59

This situation sounds very similar to mine! We also have a 2yr old (dictator) little boy! Very much a mummy’s boy, still breastfeeding, wanting to sleep with his mummy for his booboo etc......but where I’m going with this is that our little lad went through a phase of saying he was scared of his dad (dad also quite, huffy, shouty, lacking patience) we took it with a pinch of salt as I honestly believe he was saying it to get a reaction out of his dad or saying it to get his own way (me doing the task in hand) he had also recently learnt how to say scared and starting to understand the context of the word, I think he knows he can use the word to his advantage in certain situations!
His dad is fab with him and they get on great by the way.
I am not minimising the situation and all kids should be listened too when they are expressing they are scared of something or someone but they are toddlers and are learning new things everyday and are learning how to express themselves through words and actions.
Unless you genuinely have concerns about your husbands behaviour towards or around your child, I would be taking this with a pinch of salt.
My LO now says he’s scared of birds and grandma (he loves his grandma and asks to FaceTime her 10,000 times a day) I know he’s just being a monkey or trying to get a reaction Smile

ElephantsYeah · 15/01/2018 22:11

Woah, things have got out of hand here... let me elaborate some things:

The biting / kissing was when ds was much younger and I used to tell him off and he'd still do it so I switched tacks and say "we don't bite, we kiss" and show him that kissing is nicer than biting.

Curlyhairdassasin - you've got a lot wrong/mixed up here. My son has never hit another child or thrown anything at a baby. I only have one child, that was another comment from someone else. I spoke with his key worker at nursery today, apparently he's one of the kindest children she's ever had to care for in nursery. He's been helping another little boy settle in to the toddler room by taking him under his wing and letting him join in with the games and toys they play with. Apparently he's very popular amongst the other children.

He did go through a stage of biting me when he first went to nursery - I think this was about the change of routine and possibly because he got bitten by other children on three separate occasions (twice on his cheek, the bruises were deeply upsetting and I nearly pulled him from that nursery there and then, and maybe if we could afford for me to stop working I would have done) he hasn't done this for a really long time.

DH moves into ds's single bed (it was actually dh's childhood bed, and handmade by his late grandfather, so no, we didn't go out and buy a bed especially for this purpose - we already had it). DS 'chose' to switch from his cotbed to the single bed one night - he just moved into it all by himself and sleeps (slightly) better in the single bed than he ever did in the cot. He's tall for his age, so probably too big for the cot anyway.

DH supports me continuing breastfeeding for as long as I want to do it for, especially because ds is allergic to cows milk so the breast milk means he still has a good source of calcium and vitamins, as well as all the antibodies etc. I don't want to stop entirely, just night feeds because I work fulltime and would prefer a better night's sleep than I get most nights. Because ds will boob all night if he can. It's exhausting!

DH has always moved out of our bed for ds - even when he was a tiny baby. This is because he's terrified of rolling over and suffocating the little chap. I think he's over cautious but I guess he has our son's best interest at heart.

I think the people suggesting that ds was being lazy about getting the sippy cup may have a point. DS and DH have been very cuddly together this evening and when DH went downstairs (while I was putting ds to bed) ds kept asking for his daddy.

I don't think it's fair to say I'm to lenient with ds, I try to be firm but fair. I try to teach him how to be kind and respectful but assertive too (I wish I was more assertive tbh).

Thanks for all the supportive tips and suggestions, I really appreciate them and have given me some things to think about. I do think dh needs to change some of his behaviour and I know he agrees with me on this. I think he shouts too loudly sometimes but I don't think he's cruel or abusive or I wouldn't be with him.

OP posts:
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